Bugging out over Op Art design

Some art movements have bigger impact in the world of graphic design than others. Optical, or “Op” Art made an especially grand entrance in the mid 1960s.

While the movement receded from the art world relatively quickly, making room for the Warhol-led Pop Art, its red carpet continues to roll triumphantly through the worlds of logo and packaging design. Here, Op absolutely still “pops.”

Feast your eyes: this is actually part of a magnificentwine label design by Meeta Panesar

In a nutshell, Op Art refers to geometric patterns that are mathematically designed to play with visual perception or produce an optical illusion — a sensation that the actually-flat surface is three-dimensional or moving.

Some of these designs really seem to swell, roll or swirl. Others take the form of shapes that are logically “impossible” or have two incompatible interpretations.

Experimental indie rock band Animal Collective used an Op Art design by Akiyoshi Kitaoka for the cover of their 2009 Album, Merriweather Post Pavilion. Move your eyes around the image to make it ripple.

A vinyl sleeve for GOLD PANDA’sMountain/Financial District 7″, designed by Andy Gilmore

“Activities of the Inanimate” (top) and “Chemical Affinities” (bottom), both by Andy Gilmore